America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education called on local farmers to help nominate rural schools to receive nearly $2.3 million in grants to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. Local farmers answered the call, and the Grow Rural Education program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, has recognized Williamston Community Schools in Ingham County, MI with a $25,000 grant.
Williamston Community Schools is just one of the many success stories of the Grow Rural Education program. For each winning school, teachers, students and, oftentimes, community members work together to make STEM programs more engaging. Williamston Community Schools will use the Grow Rural Education program funds to establish the Williamston High School Mathematics and Science Academy. This will provide students who enjoy and excel in math and science with challenging and exciting courses to take and provide unique learning opportunities in math, science, and technology.
“Bayer is proud to support programs like America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, which has made such a tremendous impact in rural communities across the United States,” said Lisa Safarian, Bayer Crop Science North America. “These grants help drive awareness of career opportunities in agriculture and enhance STEM education for the students who are the next generation of our industry.”
To qualify for a Grow Rural Education grant, farmers nominated a public school district to compete for a merit-based grant of either $10,000 or $25,000. Nominated school districts then submitted a grant application that outlined how they would use the funds to enhance their students’ STEM education. A panel of qualified teachers review the applications and narrow it down to the finalists. The program’s Farmer Advisory Council, consisting of approximately 30 farmer leaders from across the country, then select the winning school districts, including Williamston Community Schools.
“America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education is a special program because farmers play a key role in nominating local schools and evaluating and selecting the grant winners,” said Al Mitchell, Monsanto Fund president. “Each year, countless school winners tell us that the Grow Rural Education grants make a positive impact in their classrooms. For some, the results are evident in student test scores, and many educators say their students are more excited about STEM courses.”
Since Grow Rural Education began in 2011, it has awarded more than $16 million to more than 900 school districts in rural communities across the United States. To view a complete list of winners or to learn more about the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, visit GrowRuralEducation.com [americasfarmers.com] or follow along on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericasFarmers.
About America’s Farmers
The America’s Farmers campaign highlights the importance of modern U.S. Agriculture through communications and community outreach programs that partner with farmers to impact rural America. To learn more, visit America’s Farmers at www.AmericasFarmers.com [americasfarmers.com].
